(Minghui.org) A Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province resident was sentenced to 3.5 years on December 29, 2020 for her faith in Falun Gong, a spiritual and meditation discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.
Ms. Zhang Fenglan, 66, is a retired elementary school teacher. She took up Falun Gong in December 1998.
Prior to her latest sentencing, Ms. Zhang was arrested on November 13, 2012 after being reported for putting up posters about Falun Gong. She was held at the Haidian Detention Center and later given two years at the Beijing Women’s Forced Labor Camp. She developed severe health symptoms as a result of torture in custody and was released on medical parole on June 21, 2013.
Ms. Zhang was arrested again on August 18, 2020 after being reported for talking to people about Falun Gong. The police ransacked her home and took her to the Harbin City No. 2 Detention Center. Although the detention center rejected her admission that evening, they were pressured by the police to accept her the next day. The police later transferred Ms. Zhang to the police hospital and quarantined her, citing the pandemic as the reason.
On August 31, the Yilan County Procuratorate approved Ms. Zhang’s arrest and she was taken back to the detention center on September 1.
The police submitted Ms. Zhang’s case to the procuratorate on October 29. She was indicted on November 26.
The Yilan County Court held a video hearing of Ms. Zhang’s case on December 24. The judge sentenced her to 3.5 years with a 15,000-yuan fine five days later. She has appealed the verdict and is now awaiting the result.
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